While doing some factual research for the Decade List (character names and what-not), I saw the horrific headline at the top of the screen: Brittany Murphy Dies at 32. From my pre-teen years watching
Clueless more times than I would prefer to admit, Murphy has always had a special place in my heart (made even more solid by her all-too-brief role as Reese Witherspoon's lesbian bunkmate Rhonda in
Freeway). Though her career was fairly patchy afterward, especially the big Hollywood vehicles like
Just Married and
Uptown Girls, she gave a truly memorable and heartbreaking performance in 2006's
The Dead Girl, which now feels even more haunting than it once did. In addition to acting, she sang on a Paul Oakenfold track, "
Faster Kill Pussycat," one of my not-so-guilty pleasures. I may have to put off rewatching
Gerry to remember some of Murphy's finer offerings (those being the aforementioned
Clueless and
Freeway, as well as
Drop Dead Gorgeous... I didn't think I'd ever feel sad watching any of those three). I wonder if the proposed
Clueless sequel/reunion will still happen. Terrible news.
Because I should be doing other things... and because I very sincerely am saddened by Brittany Murphy's passing... and because I don't know how to capture video... and because the video would likely be taken down promptly... and because I don't know where my copy of Drop Dead Gorgeous is... here are some of my favorite caps of the late actress, whom my friend Jessie described as "a staple of our generation" (so accurate)... Nathan from Film Experience Blog probably said it best with "I missed her before she was gone." The stills are from Clueless, Freeway and The Dead Girl.
